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Horse racing at Happy Valley lives up to hype

Happy Valley Racecourse is Woodbine on Red Bull and/or Dom Pérignon, a dazzling night out in one of the globe’s great sporting venues. Merely being a part of the buzz puts a smile on your face.

Strolling the attractions of Nathan Road, the main north-south artery in Kowloon, is not to be missed. Take little side trips into the myriad of local markets such as this one in Mong Kok, the Ladies' Market. The lower end of the peninsula, near Victoria Harbour, features oulets for all the globe's top luxury brands. (Courtesy Hong Kong Tourist Bureau)

Happy Valley Racecourse draws thousands and is the place to be for celebrities, high rollers, low rollers and first-timers alike. (Dreamstime.com photo)

HONG KONG—For the curious traveller any day in this urban wonderland is a good one. But Wednesday nights are extra special.

That’s when the horses run at Happy Valley. The very name is alluring, exotic — and, yes, it lives up to the promise.

Happiness? You bet.

This is Woodbine on Red Bull and/or Dom Pérignon, a dazzling night out in one of the globe’s great sporting venues. No, you don’t have to know much about horses, or racing, or betting, to enjoy the experience. Merely being a part of the buzz puts a smile on your face.

At this party, cashing a ticket is a bonus. And, do they ever cash tickets — the handle here on an average night is a whopping $1 billion in HK dollars, roughly $128 million Canadian (including contributions from some 100 off-track outlets and the online trade).

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In operation since 1846, Happy Valley Racecourse is now backed by a towering eight-storey grandstand and surrounded by soaring mountains and high-rent apartment towers. At night, the place feels like the spotlit centre stage in a colossal theatre. With a capacity of 55,000, it draws fans by the thousands, the place to be for celebrities, high rollers, low rollers and first-timers alike who arrive via cabs, limos, subway (take the Causeway Bay stop on the super-efficient system — eat your dieting heart out Mayor Ford) or Hong Kong Island’s iconic double-decker trams, an easy trip from Central or Kowloon.

General grandstand admission is dead cheap, little more than the equivalent of one loonie. That gains you access to everything you need for a great night out, including a trackside open-air beer garden that features draft by the cup or pitcher, great kiosk fare (try the fish kebabs) a live band playing between races and access to the hands-on experience of the walking ring. During races punters crowd the rail and cheer on their choices down the stretch — it is a loud, tipsy, friendly vibe. Post-race, the winning jock parades his mount back up the track, exchanging high fives.

I’d highly recommend blending in with that crowd, but there are perfectly fine alternatives. The track features posher surroundings, including several fine restaurants which tourists can access by purchasing a special badge (be sure to bring along your passport) for about $12 (Canadian). There’s also a “racing in style” package for about $100 that includes a tour, buffet, drinks and special instruction in the intricacies of local betting, which offers some interesting alternatives to what even seasoned gamblers might may expect.

Horse racing struggles to survive in North America, where grandstands sit nearly empty on routine race days. But here there is little real competition in professional sports and each race usually attracts 12 entries and reams of pre-race information for its 80-plus fixtures per year. The Jockey Club has the additional local monopoly on lotteries and sports betting, mainly the major global soccer leagues. The biggest single tax payer hereabouts, the Jockey Club contributes roughly $2 billion Canadian annually and gives away a tenth of that amount to charity.

There’s a second larger track, Sha Tin, in the suburban New Territories, with a capacity of 80,000 where races go during the day on weekends. While perfectly functional and with its own appeals, that venue lacks the in-town charisma of Happy Valley.

Woodbine regular Emma-Jayne Wilson rode here for a stint a few years ago. “When I was taking my mounts out onto the track to the gate, I looked up at this grandstand, and there is nothing to compare to this,” Wilson told the Thoroughbred Times back then. “We have night racing at Woodbine, but the enthusiasm of the crowd here, and this grand world-class racetrack — it’s the best of everything. Whenever I’m riding, I like to take a moment to look at the grandstand, and there is nothing similar to this in North America.”

The place so associated with its earthly rewards got its name, ironically, from the many cemeteries in the area (promising happiness in the afterlife). The graveyards — a tourist attraction in their own right — are partly populated with long-ago victims of malaria, as the area was all swamps and rice paddies before the British colonists set about building the track and stables on what was and still is one of the few flat landscapes in the vicinity.

It was and still is, too, one of the great Wednesday nights out.

FIVE OTHER THINGS TO DO

1. Take the Peak Tram: No visit is complete without riding the venerable tram up the slope to the highest peak on Hong Kong Island to take in the resulting spectacular views. For a round trip of roughly $8 (Canadian) the ride on the “funicular railway” is a bargain. What you spend when you get up there is optional, but there are a variety of excellent dining options, including, improbably, a restaurant devoted to Forrest Gump. There’s also a Madame Tussauds waxworks that featured Brangelina out front during my most recent visit. But the main attraction is the vista over the myriad towers and bustling Victoria Harbour with its freighters and tugs and liners and junks.

2. Ride the Star Ferry: So, why not get down there in the midst of the harbour traffic? Short of taking one of the many available boat tours, by far the easiest, cheapest and best way to get a taste of the salty is to take the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour from Central to Kowloon (or vice versa). One-way tickets for the frequent service cost the equivalent of only 30 cents Can. and the trip takes merely five minutes or so, but the crossing is unforgettable. Next to the terminal on the Kowloon side there is a promenade that offers views of the opposite skyline, especially stunning in the evenings when the towers are illuminated from inside and out.

3. Explore Nathan Rd.: The main north-south thoroughfare of the Kowloon Peninsula has a little something for everyone — plus a lot for those who can afford it. A mix of tacky tourist offerings and the very best of the luxury brands, Nathan Rd.’s a treat. It and its tributaries have featured in countless movies. At the southern end, take a peek in the staid Peninsula, the hotel that epitomizes colonial days — better yet stay for high tea. At the northern end, in Mong Kok, explore churning markets dedicated to fish, birds, flowers, ceramics, electronics, you name it.

4. Walk/ride the escalators: Opened in 1993, a series of moving stairways covering more than 800 metres, the escalators run downhill in the early mornings, transporting residents from the Mid-Levels down into the business hub of the Central district. The rest of the day, when most tourists take advantage, the system runs uphill. Hong Kong is built on mountain sides and can be exhausting for pedestrians, so taking the escalators up from one main street to the next is the way to go, although there are ordinary steps alongside all the way for closer investigations. There are shops, clubs, bars, street markets everywhere. Explore, using the escalators as your trunk line.

5. Check in with Mickey: Travellers with kids in tow might be excused if they resort to the amusement park standby — no need to apologize — even in the exotic locales of the South China Sea. Hong Kong has its own Disneyland, located on Lantau Island, also home to the international airport and served by excellent train service from all hotel areas. Expect to pay roughly $50 for adults, $30 for children. It also has Ocean Park on Hong Kong Island, also easily accessed by public transit and featuring, yes, a pair of giant pandas. Admission is about $30 for adults, $20 for kids. There are no pandas at the Zoological and Botanical Gardens, an urban oasis only minutes from Central. But they do have a nice collection of primates and at least one raccoon. I think I recognized it from my backyard in East York.

JUST THE FACTS

ARRIVING Both Air Canada and Cathay Pacific offer daily non-stop service between Toronto and Hong Kong, with economy fares starting at roughly $1,500 (including taxes and surcharges) return. Cathay Pacific announced recently that it will be offering a new Premium Economy Class on the route starting April 1. Seats are wider and offer a greater incline with more on-board amenities, including a dental kit, socks, eyeshade, earplugs, larger pillows and noise-cancelling headsets. Passengers will also get preferred treatment on the ground plus an increase in baggage allowance. The new class adds about $1,000 to the return economy fare and promises to be very popular on a flight that tests passengers’ endurance for around 16 hours each way.

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